1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to data protection and storage systems and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for processing a transform function and parameter information that represent data files and achieve a reduction of an amount of storage space required for backup and restoration of the data files.
2. Description of the Related Art
In various industries, a large number of data files are created and stored for different applications. The data files may be auto-generated files, such as two dimensional and/or three dimensional image files, video files, and the like. In order to store such auto-generated files, a significant amount of storage space is required. For example, design and manufacturing processes in various industries (e.g., automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding, architecture and construction and industrial equipment, and the like) require a significant amount of storage space for auto-generated files. 2D/3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) files are created and stored in different views and forms at different stages. Similarly other industries, such as medicine and entertainment; create and store various views, forms and stages of data for images and videos files.
Most of these files are auto-generated based on a certain original input file (i.e., reference file) and a number of transform functions and parameter information. Generally, the transform functions and parameter information may include various functions, such as vector functions (e.g., scale, adjust, color and/or the like), projections, filters, views, textures and/or the like. For example, CAD (computer aided design) files and CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) files represent designs for various structures (e.g., buildings, mechanical components and the like) in which each design is simply a transformation of a reference design (file) using various parameters.
The data files (e.g., auto-generated files, vector graphics files and/or the like) consume a significant amount of resources in terms of time, space and network bandwidth during performance storage management operations, such as in back-up and archiving operations. Moreover binary comparison techniques are unable to work on various instances because the data obtained out of the applying the transform functions and parameter information on the reference file (i.e., original input file) result in a new data file.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for processing a transform function, a reference file and parameter information that represent data files in order to achieve a reduction of an amount of storage space required for backup and restoration of the data files.